Hot & Cold Weather for my Puppy

[BrooklynStar]

Hello Everyone,

I know this breed of dog is sensitive to both heat and cold and was wondering if some one would care to elaborate further on this? I have some questions that I hope can be answered.

My puppy, Dozer, is 11 weeks old and with summer fast approaching, I was wondering what I should do to prep my family for his special summer needs. I already know about the lemon juice, misting water bottle and water but I have more questions:

1) During July/August when the temps can easily go above 90 degrees is it safe to walk him out side just so he can relieve himself? If not then should I always keep buying wee wee pads? We dont have a backyard per se, all of our homes are attached so we have a "community driveway" in our backyard we have an elevated deck above a car port...would allowing him to relieve himself under the deck in the shade be acceptable?

2) During the winter months, when it is really cold, would he need a jacket and if so should I still limit how long he spends outside (i.e only taking him out just to relieve himself?)

3) During the summer when no one is home during the day, we have a central air conditioning unit that automatically turns on when the temp goes above a certain threshold. I was wondering what the ideal Bulldog temperature is that they prefer...68F? 70F degrees?

4) Also, I noticed how easy they can get an ear infection if even a little water goes inside...does that mean I cant walk him in the rain or should I just buy him a type of rain hat to cover his ears? Again this can be solved by letting him go under the deck.

Any feedback would be great!

P.S. If it helps, im from NYC


Thanks!

 

[Poppy]

1) He should be ok to go out and relieve himself in those temps. No need to use the puppy pads any longer then you need to. They will make it harder to house train him. Just keep an eye on him and keep it short.

2) Yes he will need a coat when it's -15C or so. And maybe some shoes or foot wax stuff if your neighborhood lays a lot of sidewalk salt. He should
be fine to walk in the cold, usually they will let you know by limping or flat out stopping. You can also feel his ears, they will get cold the quickest and it's the best way to know if it's just too chilly. -25C is probably too cold for a bulldog.

4) I think they're fine to walk in the rain, just give their ears a wipe when you get home. You could always stuff some cotton balls in them! Lol

 

[Poppy]

Get one of these!

 

[Fontanafox]

[MENTION=3904]Poppy[/MENTION]...such good ideas and I love that rain coat. I have raincoats as well as fleece jackets but I don't have that hat!

I use what is called a "Snood." A snood is a covering for the head, ears and neck. Just google "dog snoods" I have ones made of fleece and on cold days it keeps them nice and warm.

 

[Davidh]

They can go out in the heat to do their business, just don't let them play outside very long or take them on a long walk. as far as the cold it's about the same thing. Short periods are OK, just pay attention to their pads and ears. We let ours out in the rain and they are fine, we just dry them off before they come back in.

House temp, I would say what ever you want it to be. In the summer we keep our thermostat on 78 deg. F and run the ceiling fans and in the winter we keep it on 68 deg. F and they do fine.

 

[TessaAndSamson]

It doesn't get very cold here and Samson really doesn't like hanging outside when it's chilly anyway so I don't have to deal with that. As for the heat, I would say it's safe for him to go outside for his potty breaks (don't think the potty pads are necessary for that situation) but I'd keep those trips outside in the heat brief. I know my Samson doesn't know his limits with the heat, he loves to sunbath and when its summer I have to watch him when he goes out to potty because once he's done he'll lay out in the sun until he's all flushed and panting if I don't force him back inside LOL As for the thermostat temp I keep it at the ~ high 70's and have a fan runnning.

 

[2BullyMama]

1 - absolutely... just do not keep him out long or take long walks.

2 - they will let you know when they've had enough. Jacket is up to you.

3 - We leave ours set at 70 all summer -- it is fine. sometimes, we will leave a ceiling fan running in the living rooms too.

4 - rain shouldn't be an issue... just be sure to clean his ear if you think a lot of water enter the canal.

 

[cali baker]

I don't have more to offer since everyone has already given you such fabulous feedback. Just wanted to say:

Hey, welcome to EBN!!! we'd love to get to know Dozer and you more and look forward to seeing more pics of him. Your avatar of him is SO SWEET!!!